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Thursday’s CSExtra offers the latest commentary and reporting on federal assistance to regions of Florida and Texas facing economic difficulties as NASA’s shuttle program retires and policy makers re-shape the agency’s Constellation program. Long space missions pose health problems for astronauts. The International Space Station returns to normal this week, following repairs to the cooling system with a series of spacewalks. A former NASA officials faces a fine and prison over past contract awards.
1. From Florida Today: An editorial suggesting the future for the region around NASA’s Kennedy Space Center may fare better than pessimists once believed. The newspaper sees Washington and others coming to the aid of a region facing job losses as NASA’s shuttle program is retired. Accept the changes under way, the editorial urges.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100819/OPINION/100818028/1006/NEWS01/Our+views++Groundwork+for+jobs+%28Aug.+19%29
A. From the Houston Chronicle: Texas and the area around NASA’s Johnson Space Center are left out of a federal program that directs $40 million in aide to Central Florida to help with job losses linked to the shuttle program’s retirement and the pending cancellation of the Constellation program, Texas lawmakers complain.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/7157550.html
2. From USA Today: The loss of muscle strength in astronauts is an obstacle to long missions. A new study builds on a long standing concern..
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/08/space-travel-minimizes-muscle-mass/1
3. From the AP via the Los Angeles Times: The International Space Station resumes normal internal operations following a series of spacewalks to recover the malfunctioning cooling system. The final spacewalk was Monday. Science operations to resume Thursday.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/wire/sns-ap-us-space-station,0,2344810.story
4. From the AP via the Washington Post: Courtney Stadd, NASA’s Chief of Staff and White House liaison from 2001-03, pleads guilty on Wednesday to conspiracy. The case, which involves another former NASA official, involves work awarded to Mississippi State University.
http://www.washinetonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/18/AR2010081802854.html
A. From the Sun-Herald of Biloxi, Miss: Stadd faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/08/18/2415033/former-nasa-official-pleads-guilty.html
5. From The Coalition for Space Exploration: The fleet Iridium communications satellites has joined a new science mission to help predict solar triggered geomagnetic storms that can cause power outages and communications blackouts. The project involves Boeing, Johns Hopkins University as well as Iridium Communications.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/blog/new-tool-for-space-weather-forecasting
6. From Space.com: Echo 1, the world’s first communications satellite, was launched by NASA 50 years ago this month. The achievement opened the door for mobile communications and navigation.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/businesstechnology/echo-1-worlds-first-communications-satellite-100818.html
7. From Collectspace.com via space.com: New U.S. postage stamps will honor Alan Shepard Jr., the first American astronaut, and NASA’s MESSENGER mission, which will maneuver into orbit around the planet Mercury in March.
http://www.exploredeepspace.com/news/usps-postage-stamps-mercury-astronaut-messenger-100818.html
8. From Discovery.com: A look at plans by SpaceX, the commercial space transportation company founded by Elon Musk, to increase the size and range of its rocket fleet. Is a future commercial mission to the Mars possible?
http://news.discovery.com/space/will-a-commercial-flight-be-first-to-mars.html
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